A London panel beater had the fright of his life when he came face-to-face with a snake hiding in a van he was working on.

Phil Smith, who works for Fix Auto Ruislip, ran to his colleagues for help after finding the North American Corn Snake hiding within the dashboard of the vehicle.

Dave Smith, owner of the bodyshop, said: “At first, no-one believed him until we contacted the owner who confirmed that he thought the snake – named Tubbs – might be hiding in the vehicle and agreed to come and collect it.

“But that was easier said than done. Unfortunately, by the time we had built up the courage to go back into vehicle the snake had disappeared again, so we were forced to strip it bare until Tubbs was found, safe and well, tangled in a wiring loom deep behind the dashboard.”